Alongside the Arteon R-Line, Volkswagen passenger Cars Malaysia (VPCM) also took the opportunity to expand the Tiguan range locally with the introduction of the Tiguan Allspace, a larger, long-wheel base variant of the existing Tiguan that seats an extra two in a third row.

The Tiguan Allspace measures in 215mm longer of which the extended wheelbase accounts for 106mm of that. It wasn’t just a cut and stretch deal as Volkswagen revised the design where necessary to better blend the length in. This means a raised bonnet and longer rear doors to balance out the dimensions.

It’s not a full on seven-seater though and it more accurately referred to as a 5+2 configuration. Nonetheless, with the added length, cargo volume has the potential to swallow up to 1,775-litres with the second and third rows down. With just the third row folded, it’s 700-litres and with the full seating capacity up, you’ll still have 230-litres of cargo space.

Motivation is courtesy of the existing 1.4-litre TSI mill from the regular Tiguan that pulls a 148hp punch with a trailing kick of 250Nm of torque. That’s a front-wheel drive layout with the six-speed wet-clutch DSG box. VPCM labels that the Tiguan Allspace Highline 1.4 TSI.

The Tiguan Allspace R-Line isn’t limited to just cosmetics this time around. There’s a larger 2.0-litre TSI engine with a heftier punch of 217hp and a roundhouse 350Nm kick of torque. For perspective, that’s more than the Passat and Arteon that only packs a 187hp and 320Nm hit.

Opt for the Tiguan Allspace R-Line and there’s also 4Motion all-wheel drive that is linked to the engine via a seven-speed wet DSG box. Complementing the added power and 4Motion is Dynamic Chassis Control (DCC) with Driving Mode Selection that has four options; Comfort, Normal, Individual and Off-Road, the last of which activates Hill Descent Control.

The kit count for the Tiguan Allspace Highline comprises complete LED lighting front and rear, Vienna leather seats, paddles shifters, cruise control, 12-way power-adjustable driver’s seat, triple-zone climate control, electronic parking brake, auto hold, auto lights, auto-dimming rear-view mirror, keyless entry and 18-inch Kingston wheels.

Creature comforts inside include a 8.0-inch Composition Media touchscreen infotainment unit that displays the rear-view camera and feeds the eight-speaker system. The driver gets the 11.7-inch Digital Cockpit instrument cluster with six customisable views and over 30 combo options of info to be displayed.

As for safety, it’s six-airbags, stability control, hill-hold assist and a tyre pressure monitoring system.

Step up to the Tiguan Allspace R-Line and things understandably get flashier. There’s R-Line badging and more aggressive bumpers on both ends. Even the exhaust pipes are dual-tip pieces and an addition is the rear spoiler. Wheels grow to 19-inch Sebring rollers.

Even the cabin gets an upgrade with R-Line sports seats up front wrapped in Vienna leather, a R-Line steering wheel, aluminium pedals and scuff plates. The infotainment display grows to a 9.2-inch touchscreen that supports 3D view, voice control, gesture control as well as Android Auto/Apple CarPlay and MirrorLink connectivity.

Five colours are available for the Tiguan Allspace and that’s Pure White, Platinum Grey, Blue Silk, Pyrite Grey and Deep Black. Just like the regular Tiguan, the Allspace is also locally-assembled in Pekan, Pahang. Pricing is RM165,000 for the Tiguan Allspace 1.4 TSI while the R-Line 2.0 TSI is RM209,575.